KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Thursday said Zulfiqarabad Oil Tankers Parking Terminal would be developed as such that it would serve as a trendsetter for other provinces.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Oil Tankers Parking Terminal in Zulfiqarabad.

He thanked the Supreme Court (SC) for ordering shifting of tankers from different areas of the city to the main terminal and Sindh chief minister, who, he said, had extended monetary cooperation by approving the summary sent to him.

He also thanked Pakistan State Oil, law enforcement agencies, Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervaiz and concerned KMC officers whose support, he said, helped in making the terminal operational.

The mayor expressed the hope that problems of the city would be resolved jointly and the oil parking terminal, which had now been built over 200 acres of land, would be extended to 400 acres.

He said that PSO had also assured him that it would build a petrol pump here.

Deputy Mayor Dr Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Additional Home Secretary Dr Badaruddin, PSO Managing Director Imranul Haq Shaikh, KMC Municipal Commissioner Asghar Abbas, Parliamentary Leader in KMC Council Aslam Afridi, KMC officers, representatives of oil tankers associations, shopkeepers and others were also present on the occasion. Managing Director of PSO, in his speech, suggested that the terminal should be named after Mayor Wasim Akhtar, adding this was because this was the result of his efforts.

The mayor said that smooth flow of traffic would be ensured once construction of the terminal was completed, and added, this was a longstanding demand of the people which the KMC had fulfilled despite limited resources and funds.

He said his team had proved that all kinds of assignments could be completed if work was done day and night. He said, “We have made this terminal functional and now it is the responsibility of oil tankers owners to run in a proper manner.”

The mayor said despite lots of hurdles created by different departments and some legal complications he and his team were able to complete construction of the terminal.

He added the terminal had the capacity to accommodate 3200 oil tankers and all facilities had been provided to the drivers in it. He further said that there would also be a mosque, a resting place, a canteen, bathrooms and service and maintenance shops for tankers at the terminal.

“The terminal will have 140 toilets and a police kiosk and 36 feet wide road has been constructed along with oil tanker parking terminal. The horticulture department has been advised to grow trees in and around the area at the terminal; six time zones have been fixed for tankers oil filling tankers. Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, PSO MD and others also addressed the ceremony.